USC Med-COR Program

Congratulations to our graduating Med-COR seniors - Class of 2022! We are proud of you and we wish you all the best as you take the next step in your journey!

On April 30th, the USC Med-COR Program hosted its annual Career Day. Eleven guest speakers, including five Med-COR alums*, shared their educational and personal journeys with our students, encouraging them to pursue careers in health and other fields. The small group sessions gave students opportunities for close engagement and to ask many questions. Many thanks to our speakers: Aisha Abdulla (Occupational Therapist), Dr. Jose Avalos* (Family Medicine Physician), Dr. Melissa Bent (Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon), Khadijah Dibia* (Teacher), Evelyn Schwabe (Nurse Practitioner), Daisy Hernandez-Badajoz* (Registered Nurse), Dr. Lorraine Kelley-Quon (Pediatric Surgeon), Maria Maldonado (Physician Assistant), Michael Marshall* (Psychiatric Nurse), Alyssa Matlosz (Occupational Therapist), and Sarah Shakir* (Registered Nurse).

Med-COR alums Dr. Jose Avalos, Sarah Shakir, Michael Marshall, and Khadijah Dibia return to campus to speak to students on Career Day!

On Saturday, March 5, medical students Ryan Chen (MS3) and Jaklin and Janet Gukasyan (MS2s and MedCOR alums) facilitated a clinical workshop for Med-COR seniors. Using COPD as a case study, our high school students were introduced to the basics of patient history-taking, learned about the anatomy of the lungs, and practiced lung auscultation. Many thanks to Jaklin, Janet and Ryan for the excellent workshop and for inspiring MedCOR students to pursue careers in healthcare!

The first day of Med-COR for Fall 2021 is this Saturday, September 18th! The Saturday session will take place on USC's University Park Campus. All students must complete USC's Trojan Check to enter campus. Students should use the "Guest" option for Trojan Check: https://trojancheck.usc.edu/login
Make sure to print or save a picture of your pass with QR code on your phone.
All students must also wear a mask at all times when on campus (indoors and outdoors).
We look forward to welcoming our new and returning students on Saturday!

Trojan Check

This summer, 9 students participated in Med-COR's clinical internship program. Students learned basic clinical skills such as taking patient vitals, bed-making and hospital health and safety hygiene practices. USC Physician Assistant Maria Maldonado facilitated some of the training sessions. Students put into practice what they learned as they volunteered in various departments at Keck Hospital. Students also received SAT prep, and everyone saw an increase in their scores. Congratulations to all of our Med-COR summer interns!

Congratulations to the Med-COR Class of 2021! We wish our graduating seniors all the best as you embark on the next stage of your journey. You are joining thousands of other Med-COR alumni who have made a positive impact on their communities and a difference in people's lives. We are proud of you!

On Saturday, May 1, 2021, Med-COR hosted our Annual Career Day! Students learned about different careers from practicing professionals and students-in-training. We're especially proud of our Med-COR alums who participated; they are a testament to the impact that Med-COR can make on the lives of students.
Many thanks to our presenters:
Clinical Therapist – Roxana Alas (Med-COR Alum)
Dermatologists – Dr. Natalia Vecerek, Dr. Ashley Brooke Crew, Dr. Jenny Chong Hu
Pharmacist – Dr. Richard Dang
Family Medicine – Dr. Francisca Mata (Med-COR Alum)
Nephrologist – Dr. Igor Kagan (Med-COR Alum)
Occupational Therapist – Guy Reavis (Student Resident)
Head and Neck Oncologist – Dr. Daniel Kwon
Physician Assistants – Sylvia Rodriguez (Med-COR Alum), Laura Huettner
Registered Nurses – Sarah Shakir (Med-COR Alum), Daisy Hernandez-Badajoz (Med-COR Alum)
Teacher – Khadijah Dibia (Med-COR Alum)

Our Med-COR mentors are making an impact on the lives of our students! Check out this recent article about mentor Natalia Barajas and her mentee Stephanie Contreras.
Thank you to all of our mentors for inspiring our students!

Physical therapy student finds connection with high school student through Med-COR program When Stephanie Contreras, was a little girl, her parents — muscles aching from physically demanding embroidery factory work — would ask her to walk gently on their backs, working out the weariness that had accumulated throughout the day. That experience was among the first to lead Contreras, now...

Many thanks to the students from SC Healthcare Outreach for giving a presentation to our Med-COR parents on healthcare coverage options! You can find their presentation slides in English and Espanol here: https://medcor.usc.edu/parents/
You can connect with SC Healtchare Outreach by visiting their website: https://schealthcareoutreach.wixsite.com/home